Nightshades of Velvet
by Forever Fearless
Summary: Gaara has never known what it's like for another being to suffer, but when he realizes that he's really not alone in the world, he learns to use his emotions.


I do not own any of the animated characters mentioned in this story.

**Nightshades of Velvet**

The moon was high in the sky when I awoke from my unsettling slumber. I had the same dream again, or nightmare rather. I found comfort in hugging my Jack Skellington pillow and burrowing beneath the blankets.

"I wish Gaara were here. No." I spoke aloud, cutting myself short. "Gaara doesn't care about me. He only finds amusement by harassing me. I need to stop thinking like that," I said before sighing.

"And him all together." I added before releasing my grip on Jack, rolling on my back to look at the ceiling with my hands intertwined atop my stomach. "Stupid nightmare, every freaking night." I said aloud, replaying the images through my mind.

I slipped through the school hallways silently, the occasional 'Hello' to my friends being the only exception. I saw Gaara between almost every period, he'd always be staring me down the way a hawk does it's pray.

Lunch rolled by, I didn't look at him, but I could feel his eyes glued to me. When he came over to my table, I wasn't surprised. I started talking to Cindy about some random college thing, when I heard him crack a joke about me being really ugly. I looked over at him and smiled.

"Thanks, glad I could be of service," I said before returning my attention back to Cindy.

He was gawking at me; usually I'd come up with something much better than that, some smart-ass remark. But today just wasn't one of those days. As a matter of fact, the whole week was like that. I didn't have the gal to defend myself. I sat there and took it. And I'd continue to take it until I snapped.

The day started out the same as any other day had. I was walking to gym; I stopped at my locker, the same routine, yet, different. Walking into the gym, I had to rethink of where I was suppose to be, because it was empty.

I sat down on the bleachers, silent at first, and then started fidgeting. After about two minutes, I was fed up and started listening to music on my zune. Singing the lyrics to The Prom Kings' Bleeding song softly to myself, eyes closed or glued to the ceiling, I failed to notice a figure enter the gymnasium.

By now I had lied down on the bleachers in a complete daze, nothing around me seeming visible. The figure approached me silently, my eyes were closed so I failed to notice it sit down next to me and just start staring at me.

I felt uncomfortable and opened my eyes, startled by the figure I rolled off the bleacher onto the hardwood floor. Tearing my headphones from my ears I sat on the floor now.

"What the fuck you psycho? Are you stalking me or something?" I yelled, rubbing my injured elbow and cheek, which was bleeding.

"What's wrong with you?" The boy asked me.

"Gaara, what are you talking about? There's nothing…wrong." I said, mumbling the last few words. I got up off the floor, walked to my backpack, zune in hand. Slinging the bad over one shoulder I turned to and walked away from him.

Reaching for the gym doors, slightly opening it, it was pulled shut forcefully.

"Get out of my way Gaara," I demanded, trying to open the door again only to have it again, pulled closed forcefully.

"Gaara, I'm not pissing with you, get out of my way," I growled out walking across the gym to another door, Gaara following. I stopped in the middle of the gym, turned around and yelled at him.

"Damnit Gaara, what do you want?" He was two feet away from me.

"I want to know what's wrong." He answered, his form towering over me as if I were a mere child.

"I've already told you, there is nothing wrong." I replied, walking away again only to be stopped this time. He grasped me wrist and forced me to face him.

"Liar," he murmured as I stared; then quickly wrenched my way out of his grasp.

"What the hell do you know," I yelled as I clenched my fists at my sides.

"I know something's wrong." He said, taking a step in my direction.

"You know nothing, you care for nothing, and you speak for nothing."

"Un-true." He cut in.

"Is it?" I asked, my eyes downcast. "Gaara, just leave me alone. It's pointless to explain to the uncaring."

"I care." Gaara said in what seem to be seriousness, however, I laughed at his comment.

"You're funny. Now go away." I touched my injured cheek only to retract my hand back to my side due to the pain. "God, I'm such a freaking klutz." I mumbled, heading for the door again.

He didn't stop me this time, but just stood in the middle of the gym as I exited. Sighing heavily, I put my earphones back in and started listening to Linkin Park as I walked home. Silently I wondered why no one else had been in the gym. I was in the right period, right?

I stopped pondering on the thoughts as I reached my house. Upon entering I had an eerie feeling, like something horrible was going to happen. Setting my backpack at the bottom of the stairs, I walked into the kitchen for a glass of milk and maybe a snack.

Setting a glass on the counter I then walked over to the fridge, browsing the shelves for the carton of milk. Finding it way in the back, I grabbed it then shut the door, only to be caught off guard. I dropped the milk in shock.

"Dad, what are you doing here," I asked scrambling around the kitchen for a towel.

"I've come to take you home."

"What? But I don't want to go back to America!"

"Tough shit, you don't have a choice."

"Does mom know you're here?" I gawked, throwing the wet towel down the laundry shoot.

"Of course. Now lets go, get packing, we leave in tomorrow."

"What? Don't I have a say in this? It's not fair! I have friends here!" I was near tears, and I was so angry by now.

"Nope, you're coming back with me. End of story."

I ran to the stairs, grabbed my backpack, and then went straight to my bedroom. 'This isn't happening.' I told myself. My life was in a frenzy as it were and I didn't need this too. I clutched my head in an attempt to clear my mind, however, thoughts of running away were the only things that kept repeating itself.

It was dark by now and my mind was made up, I was leaving, but not with my father, not back to America. Quietly, opening my window I peered outside and swung my body outward. Swinging my legs to one side, I tried to catch the siding that the ivy was currently growing on, with my feet.

Once I was sure I was good, I began to climb down the three-story house building. Part way down, my foot got stuck in the panel and I had to look around to make sure no one was looking due to the ruckus I was causing in my attempts to free myself. No one was around.

I used one arm to hold myself, and the other to pull and twist my foot free. Victory was mine and I proceeded town the side of the house until something crawled across my hand and I let go of the siding. I couldn't scream, I couldn't even breathe; all I could do was wait to collide with the hard ground below.

My back came into contact with something hard, but it wasn't the ground. Opening my eyes that I didn't notice I'd closed, I saw the fiery red hair of none other then Gaara. He set me down on wobbly feet, holding his arm out for my support. Once I got my gross motor skills back, I backed away from him.

"What are you doing here," I asked, my voice a whisper.

"Where are you going?"

"Don't follow me Gaara. I can't tell you." And with that I turned tail and ran for Okana bridge. Glancing behind me, I didn't see anyone following me. When I reached the bridge it was around 11:30 at night and I was all alone, or so I thought. As I peered over the side to look at the water a tight grip on my neck made me gasp for air. As I tore the perpetrators hands away from me, I stumbled away and gasped for air while trying to maintain my balance.

Shock and surprise had spread across my face when I saw who it was.

"Dad? What the hell?"

'Was he trying to kill me,' I asked myself. Brought back to reality by an awful laughter, I watched as my father's appearance changed into that of Naraku's.

"What the hell?" I yelled. "What do you want Naraku? Are you stalking me too? And what the hell was that?" I yelled some more,

"Stupid girl. You're helpless now." Naraku chuckled that horrible chuckle and I shivered a bit.

"I don't understand." I murmured.

"Your dad was never here. I just pretended to be him to get you to run away."

"But why?" I panicked.

"To kill you. Why else?" He laughed again as he watched me run away, I didn't get far.

He took me up by the throat, shaking me violently as he approached the edge of the bridge. My body was now looming more than 120 feet above water and even though I was an excellent swimmer, the impact was sure to kill me. I clawed at Naraku's hands and arms in an attempt to breath, but failed miserably.

"Don't fight it. Let death engulf you, slip slowly into unconsciousness," he said as he tightened his grip. Just as I was about to let his words become truth, I watched as a figure sprang across the bridge rapidly and kicked Naraku in the face. Naraku's grip was released and I started falling towards the water, but as though I wasn't meant to die yet, a hand grasped mine and started pulling me back up.

"Ka –Kakashi," I chocked out.

"Hold on!" he ordered. Catching my breath slightly I noticed a dark figure appear behind Kakashi.

"Kakashi look out!" I yelled, terrified once again as I was released to plunge into the water. I glanced at the moon, my lungs burning like a wild fire.

'Is this it? Is this the end of the line for me?' I thought to myself. Closing my eyes I thought of all the good times I'd had and how I'd never be able to apologize to Gaara…

When a hard structure came slamming into my body, I hissed in pain. Opening my eyes, I noticed the familiar red hair. "Gaara!" I choked out, relief spreading over me as I buried myself against his warmth.

We were back on the bridge shortly after his heroic rescue and I could hear Kakashi say, "Gaara get her out of here!" And the next thing I knew was Gaara was running, where I didn't know.

"Gaara, where are we going?" I asked glancing at his face that was now full of concentration.

"The park." He answered, indicating I should probably shut up. He set me down gently and I quickly regained my balance.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He yelled, surprising me as I rubbed my arms to increase circulation.

"Wh-What do you mean?" I asked defensively. He approached me and took a hold of my shoulders, shaking me.

"What were you thinking running away like that?" His eyes burned with an undying fire as he read my face.

"What's it to you?" I lashed out at him, swinging my arms in a failed attempt to punch him. Coming up behind me, he pined my arms at my sides and said, "Why is it so horrible to have others care about you?"

"It makes it harder to commit suicide. What do you care anyways?"

"I care."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." I mumbled twisting out of his firm hold.

"You should have just let Naraku kill me. It would have saved my the trouble of having to look at you for another day."

"What are you talking about?" He was angry now.

"You Gaara…you." I muttered, searching his surprised face before I continued. "It's always been about you! Ever since I came to this school and laid eyes on you. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. When I go to sleep at night and wake up from a nightmare, I find myself wishing you were there to comfort me. But I know that would never happen because you don't give a damn for anyone but yourself. Stop toying with me, just leave me alone. Do you got that?" I shouted, feeling much better as I walked away from him only to be stopped and thrown to the ground.

"What the hell are you doing?

"Shut up!" He yelled at me as he straddled my hips, pinning me to the ground. Resting his hands on my stomach at first, then up to my face to gently caress my cheek.

"Do you have any idea how annoying it is to want to touch something you know you just can't have? Do you have any idea how painful it is to watch you in pain and not be able to do a damn thing about it?" He asked through clenched teeth.

"Stop toying with me Gaara!" I yelled, trying to through him off but to no avail.

"Stop it damnit! Don't you get it? If I didn't care about you, do you think I would have given you the time of day? Do you think I would have been concerned?"

I didn't know what to say, but I could feel his eyes looking, searching my face for some type of answers, answers that I couldn't give him. I tried so hard not to cry, and not because I was sad, I never cried for that reason.

"Ever since you came to Japan, to school, you've been my greatest infatuation. I'd look for you in the hallways to make sure you were in school, stare at you in lunch, I think about you all the time! Do you understand now? Athena, look at me damnit!" He slammed his fist into the ground next to my head, forcing me to look at him.

Tears slid down the sides of my face involuntarily, but that only seemed to turn his emotions to a calmer state. As he looking into my bleeding blue eyes, I felt a wave of comfort sweep over me.

"Gaara, I'm sorry." I said softly, tears still sliding down my face.

"No, I'm sorry." He apologized. "I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"No, it's fine. I'm use to it." She admitted.

"All the more reason not to do it." He said smiling, as he brushed away a few stray tears. I looked at him confusedly.

"What are you smiling at?" I asked, lying there, still pinned down.

"You're kinda cute with your lips all pouty like that." He chuckled as I scrunched up my face, breaking into a smile.

"Thanks Gaara." I said sarcastically as even more tears streamed down my face.

"Athena, about Naraku. I'm sorry I didn't get there in time."

"Gaara, don't. I was lucky you made it there at all. I'm such an idiot. But, why was Kakashi there?" I asked as I watched him get off and sit down next to me. After he was off of me, I sat up and sat cross-legged.

"He was tracking you. I told him I felt something bad was going to happen to you and I asked him to track you." He answered turning away.

"Thank you Gaara. You're the only reason I'm alive right now." I chocked out as more tears spilled from my eyes.

"Athena, it's not your fault, so please stop your crying now."

"Gaara." I said, grasping his chin, bringing his lips to mine, kissing him softly, pulling away shortly. "Sorry." I apologize, a small blush appearing on my face.

"Don't apologize." He said smiling. I lied on my back again to admire the beautiful sky I had almost died under.

"Did you just sing New Found Glory to me?" I asked, realizing I knew the words. Gaara smiled when I looked at him expectantly. "Actually, it, yeah. I did." He laughed, me joining him. After the laughter subsided, he laid down next to me, the night's events catching up to us.

"Gaara…thank you for saving me." I whispered half asleep.

"Shh. Go to sleep." He said softly as he watched her sleep peacefully.

"You'll always be my midnight shade of velvet, Athena." He whispered softly as he brushed hair away from her face while watching the moon disappear behind a cloud.

"I love you," being the last thing he said before wrapping his arms around her and drifting off to sleep.


End file.
